TETRAHYDROFURAN AND OXETANE POLYMERS

The polymerizations of tetrahydrofuran [1693-74-9] (THF) and of oxetane [503-30-0] (OX) are classic examples of cationic ring-opening polymerizations. Under ideal conditions, the polymerization of the five-membered tetrahydrofuran ring is a reversible equiUbtium polymerization, whereas the polymerization of the strained four-membered oxetane ring is irreversible (1,2). 

The polymerization of tetrahydrofuran was first studied ia the late 1930s (3,4). In 1960, this work was summarized (4), and the Hterature on tetrahydrofuran polymers and polymerization has been growing ever siace. Polytetrahydrofuran with hydroxy end groups has become a large-scale commercial product, used mainly as the flexible polyether segment ia elastomeric polyurethanes and polyesters. It is commercially available under the trade names Terathane (Du Pont), Polymeg (QO Chemicals), and PolyTHF (BASF). Comprehensive review articles and monographs have been pubUshed (2,5-8). 

The four-membered oxetane ring (trimethylene oxide [503-30-0]) has much higher ring strain, and irreversible ring-opening polymerization can occur rapidly to form polyoxetane [25722-06-9]  

Because of the high ring strain of the four-membered ring, even substituted oxetanes polymerize readily, ia contrast to substituted tetrahydrofurans, which have tittle tendency to undergo ring-opening homopolymerization (5). 

No oxetane polymer, either substituted or unsubstituted, has as of 1996 any commercial significance. 

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Propylene oxide polymers, Tetrahydrofuran and oxetane polymers. 

Arnitel - [POLYESTERS, THERMOPLASTIC] (Vol 19) - [POLYETHERS - TETRAHYDROFURAN AND OXETANE POLYMERS] (Vol 19)... 

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